Kenya, Uganda to settle scores at Lugogo Cricket Ground
Kenya opening batsman Alex Obanda hits one of the 11 sixes against Italy enroute his second List A century at Lugogo Oval on June 22, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Kenya eager to show ‘Big Boy’ status against Little Brother Uganda
In Kampala
There is no denying that sporting battles between Kenya and Uganda always live up to the billing. And like witnessed across the many sporting disciplines, current form does hardly dictate which of the two sides will turn out victors at the end of the day.
The last rivalry between the two old enemies saw Uganda’s Rugby Cranes triumph over Kenya’s Shujaa as both teams competed in the Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Cup.
Uganda took the bragging rights as the champions of the continent as both teams did qualify for the World Cup and Commonwealth Games alongside Zimbabwe at Kyadondo Rugby Football Club.
But at a sporting sanctuary just a stone’s throw away – Lugogo Cricket Ground – the two neighbours are set to renew their rivalry in Round II of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League B on Sunday.
Uganda's veteran off-spinner Frank Nsubuga is no new man to battles between Kenya and Uganda over the last four decades and he will look to make the difference for his team.
Stumbling start
Uganda’s Cricket Cranes may have had rough start to the week with a second tournament defeat - by 6 wickets - to Hong Kong last Monday but upon defeating Bermuda by 8 wickets at Lugogo on Tuesday and another seven-wicket triumph against Italy at Kyambogo on Friday, they look like men in a good space.
And Friday’s victory coincided with Hong Kong (13 points) losing to Jersey by 55 runs in Lugogo, implying the Cricket Cranes regained top spot in League B with 14 points after nine outings.
Now coach Laurence Mahatlane’s charges are back in control of their route to the ICC ODI World Cup set to be held in India next year.
Battle for Migingo
Certainly, the hosts will hope to complete the Kampala leg on a whim when they take on neighbours Kenya in the eternal East African duel, dubbed the 'Migingo Derby'.
“As long as destiny is in our hands and we can control it, that’s important,” said Uganda’s South African tactician Mahatlane after the victory over the Italians.
Now 2003 ODI World Cup semi-finalists Kenya is fourth on the six-team log with seven points from eight matches and after hitting 340-9 to beat Italy by 134 runs on Thursday in Lugogo, coach David Obuya knows they can ignite a flame.
And that’s considering that there is a last match against Hong Kong in Kyambogo on Monday and five more games to play during round III in Jersey in August, Kenya needs a victory shift, too.
“We are just taking it game by game,” skipper of the day against Italy, Rakep Patel, in the absence of Shem Ngoche (shoulder injury) said earlier this week.
“It’s just about keeping it simple. We don’t want to try too hard. We want to play to our processes again,” Uganda’s captain Brian Masaba reacted.
Kenya's young left-arm spinner Vraj Patel joins Eugene Ochieng Maneno to celebrate a wicket dismissal against Italy after the latter held onto a superb running catch.
Last meeting
Last September, Kenya lost the ICC Derby Trophy 2-1 to hosts Uganda and then days later, Uganda beat Kenya by six runs to win the inaugural Pearl of Africa T20 Series at the scenic lakeside oval in Entebbe – just next to the Entebbe International Airport.
Then in November 2021, the Cranes pipped Kenya by six wickets to win the ICC Africa T20 Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
In the League B round, played in Oman 2019, Uganda chased Kenya’s score 253-6 thanks to Ronak Patel’s 106-ball 86 to win by three wickets with four balls remaining on December 5.
“We all know how Uganda plays cricket. They also know how we play. So, it will be a good game,” Rakep added.
Key battles
Uganda’s wins, thus far, have been light and they haven’t scored more than 200 runs in any innings and it is likely their will be changes at the top once again. Will it be skipper Brian Masaba batting at the top or Arnold Otwani replacing his fellow off-colour opener Emmanuel Hasahya to open the innings with left-hander Simon Ssesazi?
Young blood Simon Ssesazi has already scored two half-centuries for Uganda and will be the man to watch against Kenya during the East African Derby at Lugogo today.
More runs will as well be required from Ronak Patel and Kenneth Waiswa before all-rounder Riazat Ali Shah and Dinesh Nakrani up the striking ante.
Day's tactics
Kenya on the other hand, have vast experience in their ranks. Openers Rushab Patel and Alex Obanda, who struck a century of 115 runs off 83 balls against Italy, are known threats.
And so is wicket-keeper Irfan Karim, who can have a littered wagon wheel on a good day, while legendary Collins Obuya, Rakep, Sachin Bhudia and UK-based Tanzeel Sheikh can single-handedly win matches.
It will be interesting to see if Shem returns, but more importantly if experienced paceman Nehemiah Ngoche Odhiambo can get his first of the campaign.
Lugogo - a haven for batsmen - is the place to be Sunday as traffic in Kampala comes to a standstill.
Defeat for Uganda could give third-placed Jersey (12 points) a chance to go top via Net Run Rate (NRR) should they beat Bermuda in Kyambogo.
ICC CWC Challenge League B
Fixtures (10am)
Sunday
Uganda v Kenya, Lugogo Cricket Ground
Jersey v Bermuda, Kyambogo University Oval
Monday
Bermuda v Italy, Lugogo Cricket Ground
Kenya v Hong Kong, Kyambogo University Oval
